Session 9: Ten Again

Okay, there were nine.  But ten again had so much more of a pleasant ring to it.

So back to a big group today with only one child missing.  As much as I enjoyed the smaller group I remembered today why more kids is also fun.  There was more energy and more enthusiasm, though that of course made the class a bit more difficult to keep on task.  The only downside was CM, who you'll remember has been slowly coming out of her shell, going a bit back into it with more children.  Still, she was eager to read even though she declined to share in the face of so much more peer attention.

So definitely some good moments today.  RJ, who is sort of a project at times, was in rare form today, cracking jokes and participating willingly and generally in a very good place.  It probably helps that her nemesis, KJ, was absent and not engaging in mutual antagonizing.  I forget sometimes, with her general negative attitude and status as a serial contrarian, that she is a very emotional, intelligent, perceptive girl.  To be honest, I find her particular brand of nihilistic sarcasm extremely amusing, but, given my position, I have to hold it in.  Also, it's a philosophy that is much more fitting for a 30 year-old college graduate that works with under-served populations than a young woman trying to navigate school and an increasingly complicated social world.

HJ chimed in with quite a perceptive comment today.  He is one of the two young members of the group, often difficult to keep focused which he even commented on today, pointing out that he is like Chaos Gus in that way.  When we talked about failure and fearing failure, HJ was the only one who said he wasn't afraid of being a failure sometimes.  I asked him why, while also expressing skepticism, and he pointed out to me that "failure is just a normal happening, so why be worried about it?"  I couldn't find any fault with this reasoning and left him to his never afraid of failing world.  I wonder if that will continue on into his life or if the reality of the world will change his philosophy.

CJ, continuing her role of always saying something amazing, talked about high expectations and how people, because of the expectations they have of themselves, can transfer those to their friends and family.  Specifically, CJ talked of a time when her dad, who is very good at math, pressed her to work harder and be better at math, and she told him that she wasn't him and that she was doing her best.  That seems natural for teens, but for a 3rd grader it seems amazingly self-aware and forward.  BL also talked of high expectations and how, when you do well in school or other things, the expectations actually increase and make things more difficult and stressful.

FR was the highlight of our session though.  She is quite an amazing young girl and talked a lot today about the difficulties her family is facing with expectations and strife among parents affecting how she views herself and how her relationship with her sister develops.  She has missed the last few sessions and it was nice to have her back with her strong leadership skills and her open and honest opinions.  CJ does a great job of sharing and being insightful but FR's extroversion and strong personality really command respect in our group.  She is a presence that can't be replaced.  Really, they all are, in the end, it's just nice to have her back.

That's all for today.  Thanks again everybody, for all of the comments and support and feedback!'

Cheers!

Ryan